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Linda Mylne spends much of her time collecting sperm samples from dogs. It might not be glamorous, but hers is a job at the frontline of canine reproduction.

Semen samples from 1,700 dogs are stored in liquid nitrogen nearby. In the past five years she has helped the owners of hundreds of pedigree animals. As we speak she is preparing a crate of samples to be airfreighted to Japan and Australia.

Although artificial insemination is nothing new, there has been a growing awareness of the problems of small gene pools since 2008 when the BBC screened Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which

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The field spaniel almost disappeared after the Second World War

April 2 2013 Times photographer, Sue Connolly

The field spaniel almost disappeared after the Second World War

April 2 2013 Times photographer, Sue Connolly

A Gordonsetter

April 2 2013 Getty Images

Cardigan Welsh corgi

April 2 2013 Dave King/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

Jack Russell terrier puppy

April 2 2013 Life On White/Getty Images

The Irish red setter, Cardigan Welsh corgi, Irish water spaniel and Welsh terrier are all classed as "vulnerable native breeds" because they register fewer than 300 puppies with the Kennel Club each year
The field spaniel almost disappeared after the Second World War. At one point there were so few that the Kennel Club withdrew championship status; they are still very few in number
The Kennel Club says that the "erosion of genetic variability doesn’t have inescapable consequences" but that breed-specific diseases become more likely
Small breed numbers are of concern to geneticists. The Animal Health Trust says that small gene pools and less genetic diversity can lead to "harmful or damaging mutations" becoming a feature of a breed
Primary lens luxation is a potentially blinding condition found in the Jack Russell, Miniature Bull terrier, Tibetan terrier and Yorkshire terrier, among others
Progressive retinal atrophy, which leads to blindness, is found in golden retrievers
Another form of atrophy is found in Gordon setters in later life
Curly coat and dry eye syndrome, which leads to flaky skins and sore eyes, and episodic falling syndrome, which leads to collapse, are found in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel
When blood lines are lost, genetic variability in the breed is eroded. Bringing in new blood or, better yet, new sperm can help widen the genetic pool, which should lead to healthier dogs